This year I am going to focus on Reading (as I did last year). It was apparent from our cluster meeting that Reading remains an area of concern.
I was thinking of tapping into cultural capital within the classroom as a way of lifting and accelerating achievement in Reading.
What is cultural capital?
Cultural capital is the accumulation of knowledge, behaviours, and skills that a student can draw upon and which demonstrates their cultural awareness, knowledge and competence; it is one of the key ingredients a student will draw upon to be successful in society, their career and the world of work. French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu coined the term in his 1973 paper "Cultural Reproduction and Social Reproduction".
I have started the online 'Everyday Conversation in Lea Faka Tonga' course. It is a 10-week course and I'm hoping it will allow me to connect in a more meaningful way with some of our whanau. Right now my knowledge of the Tongan language is limited to greetings and encouraging my students to "vave".
At my school over 95% of our students are of Pacifika descent. I believe that one way of enhancing their learning is by tapping into the cultural capital of our students and whanau.
